


Tell Me With Your Mind, Body, and Spirit

by stxrfleet



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Academy Era, Canon Related, Domestic, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2019-01-29 19:34:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12637746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stxrfleet/pseuds/stxrfleet
Summary: Snippets from the early days of Paul and Hugh's relationship. It was easy, and then it wasn't, and then it worked.I started writing this pre-epsiode 7, but I also wanted to bring the canon in as best I could, so this is what you get.





	Tell Me With Your Mind, Body, and Spirit

**____________________________________________________________________________**

 

**Day 1**

 

Paul looked down at the professor giving a lecture on biology. A ‘Biology 101’, they had said, one that was required for all cadets passing through the academy. It’s not that this was his area of expertise, but he knew enough to know the fact that 1) the lecturer had not updated his course information in too long, and more importantly, 2) that he didn’t need to be there. Not one to draw attention to himself, he sat, maintaining the appearance of attentiveness by taking notes every now and then - notes on something else entirely. 

What would have been an uneventful class changed when someone ran through the door at the front of the lecture. The man stopped when the professor stopped talking to watch his entrance, but turned away as if he was a fly buzzing past, not an actual person. The man took that as a pass, went and took a seat at the front, and the lecture continued. 

Normally, Paul would forget that moment and move on with ignoring the class. People would walk in late, people would walk in covered in rain, Paul has even seen someone once walk in, past the lecturer, and then keep walking to the opposite door.

Today was not a normal day. Today, whoever this latecomer was also happened to be quite possibly the most attractive man Paul had ever seen. And, his shirt tag was hanging out, which was different because Starfleet issued cadet uniforms didn’t have tags.

All of this lead to one inevitable fact- Paul was staring. He would still take notes, absentmindedly, but his eyes would always wander down to the man at the front when his mind began to drift, which now, after the interruption, was quite frequently. 

So frequently, in fact, that as the man got up to leave, he caught Paul’s gaze on the way out. Paul, not sure what to do in that particular moment, blushed quite spectacularly. A smirk appeared on the man’s face when he noticed, and he left the room with a mass of cadets off to do the rest of the day’s doings.

———

Hugh had no excuse for being late that morning, except for the fact that he was a human being, and maybe going to a boring lecture didn’t necessarily inspire him to leave him room. He had been reading on a new medical breakthrough. Apparently, someone in Nairobi had finally figured out the issue with Retinax IV that was causing early onset blindness in some users. The fact that this discovery was made so early on was so intriguing that it was 0958 and Hugh may have still been in his pyjamas instead of waiting for his next class. Throwing his uniform on over the top of his pyjamas, Hugh ran out the door. At least he wouldn’t be too late.

1013\. Hugh was a little late. Running through the door, Hugh came to a stop to prepare for some remark by the professor, who just looked at him as if he expected someone to come flying in at this time, before continuing on. Better than some, rumours were still going around about Christopher Pike and the time he walked late into a lecture by an unexpected guest Tellarite.

The class passed uneventfully. Hugh had a feeling that someone was watching him, but passed it off because he had walked in late. He’d spent a fair amount of time ogling the latecomers too, and knew that it would only be for a few minutes until everyone settled in again. It was only when the professor finished, and everyone began to get up and leave, that Hugh caught the eyes of a blonde man in the fourth row to the left that he realised that maybe someone had been staring at him. He hadn’t caught him staring per se, but that deep blush that spread across his previously pale face spoke volumes.

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

**Day 9**

 

To say that Paul had a bit of a reputation was an understatement. Nearly everyone in his class at the academy knew him as the blunt-yet-brilliant scientist with an aptitude for mushrooms. Not many people tried to connect with him considering how he responded to society in general. As a rule, he didn’t make an effort to make friends unless otherwise necessary.

Straal was a lucky exception to that rule. Whilst they had started just as friendly to each other as anyone else, Straal showed that he possessed a quick mind and the ability to grasp new information more comprehensively than most others. When they were first paired together for an assignment in Paul’s first year at the academy, they had unsurprisingly stayed friends. Now, this had developed and they were both friends and research partners.

In saying that, Straal was possibly the only exception to that rule. Most other people seemed to only want to get to know Paul for their own benefit, to take something. When it was announced that Bio 101 would be pairing up for their next assignment, he wasn’t happy to say the least. When it was announced that these pairs would be assigned at random by the professor, Paul was definitely certain what he was feeling was far from happy.

_Culber, Hugh. Medical Division._

———

Paul Stamets was someone Hugh only knew by name. They had been talking for about a week now, after having exchanged comm numbers once they knew they had been paired up. Apparently, he was a bit of a “prickly” individual, some of his friends would say. Apparently, he had already graduated college and was an expert in his field - like himself, although he would never consider himself as “expert” as of yet, but he had graduated with a medical degree already, which made him feel a little better - and just at Starfleet Academy to gain the requisite knowledge to be posted on a federation ship. Apparently, he was high a lot of the time too, although Hugh suspected that one might have been a rumour based off the fact that the guy worked with mushrooms in his spare time.

When Hugh arrived outside the library, he couldn’t see anyone who looked like they were looking for a partner for a biology assignment. Not that he knew what to look for. Walking toward a nearby bench to sit and wait, he was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder.

“You’re early.”

Hugh turned around to see the very same blonde cadet from the class he was late to. He was just as pale as he had looked from afar. Up close, however, Hugh noted that they were nearly the same height, and that his eyes were an incredibly dark blue. “You expected otherwise?” he responded.

Paul didn’t look particularly phased by this question. Nor did he look like he particularly wanted to participate in small talk. “You ran into the lecture late about a week ago. I wasn’t sure what to expect.”

“You were staring at me then.” Hugh pointed out, hoping to find out the reason why. 

“Yes…” Paul stopped to clear his throat. Perhaps there was a personal reason he had been caught staring. “You had a tag hanging out of the neck of your shirt. Starfleet uniforms don’t have tags.”

Well, there goes that personal theory.

Hugh chuckled, eyes crinkling as he absentmindedly lifted his hand to check that there were no tags hanging out now. “I was running late. I may or may not have had pyjamas on underneath my uniform. I didn’t think anyone would notice…” He drifted off, hoping that the man would offer something to the conversation.

Paul again didn’t look particularly phased by this admission. Hugh was beginning to understand why people thought he was prickly. “Anyways, it’s not something I do on the regular. Would you like to head inside? We should start dividing up the outcomes.”

Paul nodded, and the two headed inside the library. So far, Hugh made no indication that he was trying to take from Paul something that he was unwilling to give, which Paul was very appreciative of. He also had a nice smile and took initiative, regardless of perhaps the occasional tendency for time mismanagement. 

As far as first meetings go, this one was not terrible.

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

**Day 23**

 

The research assignment had been completed and handed in, relatively without drama. Paul could only say relatively because whilst some may assume what they had done was drama-free, for him it was the most dramatic thing that had happened in his life.

Paul had been asked on a date.

It wasn’t that that hadn’t happened before. He knew he was attractive in some sense - people never seemed to get over blue eyes. It was just that every other time, Paul had said no.

What had happened was a simple interaction between two people. Paul had been leaving his dorm room to go to the library. He had taken his customary route, somewhat off the main path to avoid slow walkers and small talk. After walking down the stairs from the second floor of the comms building, he headed toward the usually abandoned hidden bench in the back of the hedge square. Today, Hugh was sitting on the bench, frowning slightly as he read something on his padd. Paul stopped as he saw him.

“Hugh?”

Hugh looked up abruptly at the sound, startled as Paul’s voice broke the relative silence of this secluded area of the academy. He stood and walked over to Paul with an easy smile on his face.

“Hey Paul. Look, I uh… I know you’re busy going to class so I’ll keep this quick,” Hugh stammered at first, but gained momentum as he continued.

“I think you’re pretty neat. Well, not neat. Yes, neat, but I probably should have said smart first, neat later. Also, I really liked working on that assignment with you. Not just because you’re smart, but because you’re also a really nice guy and I like you a lot. Do you want to have dinner tonight?”

The ‘yes’ was out of Paul’s mouth before he had fully processed everything that had happened.

“Good,” Hugh sighed in relief, “I’ll meet you outside the library at 1900. Don’t be late, mushroom man!” With that, Hugh turned and left.

“I won’t,” Paul said, to no one in particular.

After that, Paul found the rest of the day a bit of a blur. He would do everything at optimal performance as normal, of course, but in the background he could hear Hugh asking him to dinner over and over again on repeat

It was a strange feeling.

———

Hugh was outside the library by 1840. He had long proven that his being late the first time they became aware of each other’s existence was a one-off, but he had been so on edge as he was getting ready that he ended up out the door twenty minutes early.

He had seen Paul walking toward him at 1850. Paul was wearing a dark blue top, with black pants and shoes. If Hugh’s breath was taken away at how the blue offset the colour of his eyes, he was very much hoping that he would get used to it before they were stationed on a ship together where Paul would be wearing a blue uniform all day.

Was he really planning that far ahead?

When Paul gave him a little smile, Hugh may have melted a little, and he knew that planning that far ahead was inevitable.

“Are you feeling pizza? I’m feeling pizza,” were the first words out of his mouth. Romantic.

“Pizza is good with me,” Paul agreed, somewhat softly.

“Good,” Hugh gave an easy smile, “I know a place. Follow me.” With that, Hugh nodded in the direction they were moving and began to walk, making sure Paul was following by his side.

———

They began to walk through the academy, the sky growing slowly darker. Paul felt a little out of his element. He was walking alongside a very smart, very attractive man that he knew could match everything that he had to offer, and possibly double that.

He let his eyes wander over to Hugh as they walked. _Fuck the tag_ , he thought, _there were plenty more reasons to be looking at you that day_.

“What was that?” Hugh asked, breaking Paul’s train of thought.

“What was what?”

“You were muttering something under your breath. All I caught was something about a tag.”

“Oh, uh…” Paul trailed off, ears turning red again. He suspected this would be a regular occurrence as long as Hugh was around. Still walking, he met Hugh’s eyes.

Hugh was smirking. Paul had the sneaking suspicion he knew the exact relevance of the tag.

_Fuck it._

“... I was thinking about the first day I saw you,” Paul said, “And how I said that I was staring because of a tag. It was there, but there were definitely other reasons to be looking at you.”

Hugh, for once, looked shocked. He hadn’t expected him to just admit it. “Oh yea,” he said, trying to sound cooler than he felt, “like what?”

“Your arms. And face. And ass. And eyes. And-”

Hugh felt like his heart was expanding by the minute, and interrupted Paul before he could continue, not willing to find out just yet where that string of admissions was going to lead. “It’s good to you were able to take in so much information in such a short amount of time.”

Paul gave him a small smile, feeling a little embarrassed but glad he had said the truth. Hugh seemed to get this, and offered more softly this time, “Don’t worry. I would have done the exact same thing if I was in your position.”

Paul smiled again, and Hugh was definitely sure his internal organs were not functioning as designed.

Hugh, slowly, took Paul’s hand in his own.

It stayed there almost the whole night.

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

**Day 56**

 

Paul and Hugh were at the mall.

Hugh had suggested they go away for a day- a road trip down the coast to stare at the ocean, amongst other things. Paul had agreed immediately, eager to spend time with him, but realised that he had very little in the way of “let’s-go-down-the-coast” clothes. In fact, Paul had never been to the beach in his life.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t been near the ocean, he had to explain to Hugh. He had seen it plenty of times from planes, bridges, parks, documentaries. He had just never stood on the sand, or taken a swim in the waves.

Hugh, taking matters into his own hands, took Paul to the mall as soon as he was free, and they were searching for coastline-acceptable clothing.

“Hugh, I’m sorry, but I refuse to step out of this change room wearing this,” Paul called from behind the curtain.

“Which one are you up to?”

“That green one. It’s unequivocally terrible.”

Hugh knew exactly the shirt he meant. It was lime green, with pink flamingos printed across it. He also knew that Paul would never agree to wearing it, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t laugh at what it would look like on.

“Can I see it?” Hugh asked, trying his luck.

“I’m not opening this curtain, for fuck’s sake. This is a disaster.”

Hugh got up from his seat, and walked toward the curtain. “What if I come in?” He asked, lowering his voice. “No one else will have to see it then.”

Paul was silent for a moment. “I suppose,” he agreed, softly, “but don’t expect anything particularly stunning.”

“You know you’re always particularly stunning,” Hugh said, pulling the curtain aside to let himself in. He couldn’t stop a small chuckle come out of his mouth when he took in the scene in front of him. Paul was standing, slightly slouching, in front of the mirror. There was a pout on his face, and he looked especially dejected at the outfit he was in. “Although I agree, I’ll make an exception this time. Not even you can pull off the lime green.”

Hugh pulled him into a hug, a little sorry that he had made Paul put this shirt on. Not completely sorry, however, since it now meant they were here.

“It’s so lime,” Paul said, quietly.

“Borderline chartreuse,” Hugh agreed.

“I’m going to take it off,” Paul said, distancing himself from Hugh, who raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Oh, enough, mister. You’re going to leave this room and then I am going to take it off.”

Hugh huffed and left. “Tell me when you get to a good one.”

Paul agreed, and they were left in silence again.

———

Hugh sat, drifting slightly as he waited for Paul to call him again. He was attempting to figure out the answer to the morning’s crossword puzzle, there was one word on the tip of his tongue that he couldn’t quite place.

“Hugh?”

“Yes?”

“I think this one’s okay, what do you think?” Paul stepped out of the change room, and Hugh couldn’t help but stare.

Paul wasn’t necessarily muscly around the arms, but he had broad enough shoulders that he could fit a shirt well. This shirt in particular looked like it was made for him. Hugh was admiring the look, his eyes trailing when-

“My eyes are up here, Hugh.” It was Paul’s turn to smirk now.

“Very funny,” Hugh said.

“What do you think?” Paul asked, twisting to look over his shoulder in the mirror, and Hugh found then another view that he could stay looking at for a while.

“It’s good. It… You look amazing.”

“You’re definitely sure?” Paul walked in front of where Hugh was sitting, looking down on him with those blue eyes that Hugh couldn’t seem to get enough of.

“Believe me.”

The two stayed still for a moment, before Paul lifted his hand to run over the top of Hugh’s head. Hugh closed his eyes, content. He had never expected to find himself in a situation like this, but was oh so thankful that he was.

“I’m going to go put my clothes back on,” Paul said, softly, “and then we can go pay for this. And then, whatever else you want to do with the day is yours, doctor.”

Hugh agreed, and waited for Paul to change and return. When he did, they went to the cashier and made their way out of the store.

As they were walking, Paul couldn’t help but think of what had happened between them in the change room. He could hardly believe how bold he felt around Hugh all the time. Willingly reaching up to touch someone was far beyond what he had done in the past, but it had felt so right. Everything about Hugh felt so incredibly right, and Paul definitely wanted to take what he had for granted.

He wanted. He knew, however, that he shouldn’t push it, because his intensity could push the strongest of people away at the best of times.

The way Hugh had looked at him though, would have been justification enough that he was going to stay, if Paul had allowed it to be. There was something there that Paul would hope for, but never believe.

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

**Day 83**

 

It had been 60 days since their first date, and Paul wasn’t sure if he knew what was going on. He knew he liked Hugh, but he also knew that he was waiting for the day that Hugh realised he didn’t really like him.

It started like this - Paul was reading on theoretical “jumps” through the galaxy as a method of space-travel. Apparently, scientists were struggling to find a method of powering a feat that would require so much energy. It was a remarkable theory, and one that Paul would love to develop himself, except his alarm went off, telling him that it was 0600 and he needed to be up to get to his first class. Reluctantly, Paul put his padd aside and got out of bed to get into the shower.

His day passed as usual. Lecture. Someone asks a question, highlighting that they didn’t do the additional reading material. Everyone else hurriedly scrawls down the answer, and Paul thinks he may have been the only one to do the additional reading material.

At lunch, he sits alone, and considers if it would be possible to do some sort of genetics-based mutation on a known fungi species to act as an energy source for space-jumps.

After lunch, he goes to the lab to work on an experiment. As always, Paul focuses entirely on his work, and it is nearly 2300 before he heads back home.

It has been a long day.

When Paul returns to his room, he sees a figure lying on the couch. Neglecting to turn the lights on, Paul walks closer to the figure. Upon further examination, that figure is Hugh, eyes shut, padd resting on his chest. When Paul walks closer, Hugh startles, and sits up.

“Paul?” Hugh asks, croaky. Paul answers in acknowledgement. “Finally. I’ve been here for nearly 2 hours, you know.” Hugh sounds disgruntled at that fact.

“For what?”

“Waiting for you,” Hugh is definitely at least a little angry now, “It’s Wednesday, or did you forget?”

Paul stilled. Wednesday was movie night. He was supposed to have been home to meet Hugh.

“You did forget didn’t you.” Hugh gets up to leave, but stumbles into Paul on his way out, grabbing his arm to stabilise himself.

“It was my work-”

“I know it was. I’ll see myself to the door. Lights.”

The lights turned on, and Hugh gasps inwardly at Paul’s appearance. He was already a thin man, but with bags under his eyes that violently clashed with his pale skin, he looked like he hadn’t slept or eaten in days.

“Shit, Paul.” Hugh stepped back, distancing himself from the other man.

Paul didn’t know what to do, so he hung his head and apologised. “I’m sorry."

“No, I don’t think you are,” Hugh paused, calculating. His words were cold and icy and Paul winced at their severity. “I know how much you love your work, and believe me I know that you are the most qualified person to do it, but you need to stop for a minute and look at yourself because if you think for one moment that you can carry on treating yourself like this-”

“Who’s going to stop me? You?” Paul was mad now. Who was Hugh, anyways, to challenge how he lived his life, how he had been doing so for so long without any complications-

“I’m trying to!” Hugh met Paul’s tone, “but you won’t let me! And you’re going to run yourself dry someday and I don’t know what’s going to happen if someone doesn’t pick up the pieces because you sure as hell won’t.”

Both men stood in silence, waiting for the other to challenge what was said.

“If it’s so difficult to deal with me,” Paul said, voice flat and controlled as he turned away from Hugh toward the kitchen, “maybe you should leave.”

Hugh scoffed. “Oh, don’t worry, I will. Maybe you can take the time that you would have spent with me to do some reevaluating of your priorities, because I know if I had to choose between my work and you, I would sure as hell be putting them in a different order to what you are.” He turned and left, shutting the door on the way out.

Paul sat at his kitchen bench and rested his head in his hands, and began to think of where it had gone wrong.

Firstly, he hadn’t slept in over 30 hours. That probably needed fixing. Paul had a lab at 1300 tomorrow that he would normally wake up early for to work on his personal studies beforehand, but that could wait.

Secondly, and more importantly, he had managed to push away the only person that Paul was sure had cared about him. Hugh was smart, kind, brilliant and would always take care of him when he needed. Paul was a workaholic, egotistical mess, and somehow he expected Hugh to just hang around and deal with it regardless of how little he offered in return.

Sighing, Paul headed toward the bed. He needed to stay away from Hugh. He was getting too attached and it was ruining everything because Paul knew now that Hugh might have liked him, but probably wouldn’t want anything to do with him anymore. And he knew that he needed distance to get over what had been the brightest point of his life, before he plunged into isolated darkness once again.

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

**Day 85**

 

Paul was sitting on a bench, under a tree. He was faced toward the harbour, secluded from the general public by a group of bushes. He would read a page or so of this new research project the engineering division aboard the _Enterprise_ was working on, pause to stare off into the distance for a while, and repeat.

It was relatively peaceful.

Paul’s reading became interrupted as he heard someone humming in the distance. This humming was getting louder, whoever it was was getting closer. He had a feeling he knew who it was, and as he began to recognise the attempted throaty dissonance of a Kasselian Opera, this feeling was proven correct. Paul sighed inwardly, knowing who was coming to sit with him.

“I don’t want to talk to you.” Paul said, when he knew the other man was in earshot. “Please stop humming and go away.”

Hugh, never one to do what Paul told him to do, kept walking closer. They met eyes as he walked around to the water side of the park bench, and he sat down.

Paul sighed outwardly this time.

“Hugh, really, I am not-”

“I love you.”

That was not what Paul was expecting. His body had frozen like ice, and yet he could feel his ears turning red, customary blush spreading as he turned to look at Hugh. “What?”

Hugh, confident as ever, looked as if he was expecting this sort of reaction. “I’m just letting you know. Because I think you think that I’m going out of my way to “deal” with you, but it’s not dealing. I love you,” he repeated again, just as solidly as the first time.

Paul sat in silence for a moment, his mouth slightly open in awe. How he’d managed to find himself on a waterfront park bench with someone as attractive as Hugh telling him he loved him like some romance film was beyond him. Not many things were beyond him.

Hugh was looking at Paul, waiting for some kind of response. When it never came, he started again. “Look, I get you don’t want to talk to me. Emotions aren’t your thing. I’ll go-”

“Me too.” The words, barely spoken, were out of Paul’s mouth before he could stop them.

“You love you too?” Hugh scoffed, “you know, I know that. You run your mouth plenty enough for me to get that you think you’re the smartest person in the room.”

“No - I - Hugh,” Paul tried to get the words out, stumbling, “I love you too.”

Hugh looked surprised, he hadn’t fully expected reciprocation. Both men sat on the bench in silence, trying to figure out where to go from here.

“Maybe-” “I think-” they both tried to start at the same time, meeting eyes when they realised what they had done. Hugh’s eyes crinkled with a faint smile and he let out a small chuckle. “You go first.”

“Okay,” Paul started, “I thought that… that this wasn’t going to happen. You’re so… bright.”

“Bright?” Hugh asked, resting his hand on Paul’s leg. Paul stared at this, still not fully comprehending what was going on.

“Yeah. You’re so bright. You light up the world. You’re also so incredibly caring. Both of which I am not. I was trying to distance myself from you because I knew I was so attached to you and I thought you were so …. not … to me.”

Paul shakily brought his hand to Hugh’s, touching their fingers together briefly. Hugh, fully confident in what he was doing, joined their hands properly.

Paul felt like he had been spending too much time around mushrooms.

“You’re prickly,” Hugh said, “I won’t deny that. You also push people away. But you let me in for a moment, and I know it wasn’t easy for you, but it was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen.”

He paused for a moment, seeming to consider what to say next. “Honestly, Paul, if I light up your world, then you haven’t had nearly as much as you deserve. Maybe I don’t understand you or your theories on mycelium all the time, but I’ll stay by your side and i’ll try forever if you’ll let me.”

Paul felt his eyes water a little bit. It may have been a little much for him to comprehend.

“Stop it, mushroom man,” Hugh chuckled, lifting a hand to hold Paul’s cheek, “I can’t believe you ever thought that I wouldn’t love you as much as you love me.”

Paul tilted his head a little, resting his face against Hugh’s hand. It was nice. “You know me,” he said, “I don’t connect well with people.”

The way Hugh was looking at him took Paul’s breath away. “Most people,” he added.

Hugh could have added something. He could have made a quip about all the people that had missed out on this. He could have contradicted him and pointed out that he really was going to be by his side forever. 

Instead, he leant forward for a kiss.

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

**Day 497**

 

Paul was in the shower. Hugh knew this for a multitude of reasons, the most spectacular of which was that he was singing. Paul wouldn’t sing anywhere, except the shower.

Hugh could hear his voice over the sound of sonics and took a moment to thank whatever force allowed them to meet, because Paul’s voice was like an angel’s and Hugh was pretty sure he was the best thing that ever happened to him.

He walked into the bathroom, humming along to Paul’s song as he drew nearer. Hugh hadn’t had a shower yet, and it was always good to preserve the ship’s resources in case of an emergency. That’s what he told himself.

“You know,” Paul said, pausing his song as Hugh stepped into the shower with him, “For someone with a singing voice like yours, you really are terrible at humming.”

Paul put his hands on Hugh’s waist .“It’s not my fault,” Hugh countered, starting off strongly. His voice faltered as Paul drew him closer into his arms. “The air…. can’t get out.” He was definitely a little distracted now.

“The air can’t get out? My dear doctor, that has to be one of the worst ailments I’ve heard of. How ever do you survive?” Paul’s voice was loaded with sarcasm.

“Stop it,” Hugh chuckled, resting his face on Paul’s shoulder and drawing his arms around his waist, “It’s been a long day.” Hugh sealed his statement with a kiss to the side of Paul’s neck.

Paul loved these quiet moments between the two of them. He also loved to tease Hugh, however, and that seemed like a better idea at the moment.

“Hugh, it’s 7 in the morning.”

Hugh stood up straight again, distancing himself from the other man slightly. “Are you trying to kill my mood on purpose?”

“Maybe,” Paul’s eyes lit up with his attempt to hide a smile.

“Fine.” Hugh said, overly dramatic, and started to make to leave. Paul tightened his grip on him, pulling him closer again. This time, he didn’t stop, and the two met for a kiss. It was gentle yet strong, and Hugh felt his mouth open with a gasp. Paul took this opportunity to deepen their kiss.

This was one of the mutual things they loved about waking up in the morning.

They broke apart eventually, when the need for air got too strong to continue. They stayed close, foreheads resting on one another. Hugh started singing this time, continuing on from where Paul had stopped. 

Paul smiled before joining in again. Maybe he was prickly, but he would never pass up the opportunity to sing with his partner in the shower. Maybe Hugh knew that he was a bit of a softy sometimes. And maybe, no one else needed to know.

 

____________________________________________________________________________

**Author's Note:**

> I'M SO HAPPY WE FINALLY GOT A TAG! CONGRATS TEAM, THIS IS THE START OF SOMETHING BIG.
> 
> This fic was named after "Over Again" by One Direction. That song inspired this work, not that you could tell by how it ended up, but it was there in my mind.
> 
> @culmets on twitter, if you want to come yell at me.


End file.
